The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and recurrent major depression and anxiety, is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ must provide adequate reasons and bases for its decision.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ committed pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors by primarily focusing on whether the Veteran had a valid diagnosis of PTSD at the expense of ignoring his diagnoses for recurrent major depression and anxiety, and failing to schedule a VA examination to assess the etiology of the Veteran's claimed mental symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Recurrent Major Depression, Anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2024
- Citation
- A24030770
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24030770.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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